Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Microsoft shows off new software and hardware for Surface Hub 2

Microsoft, during its keynote at the Microsoft Ignite Conference, used the Surface Hub 2, the device's, first public appearance. Additionally, the keynote was the first time Microsoft showed off the software that will power the second generation of the Surface Hub. However what is making headlines about Microsoft’s use of the Surface Hub 2 at the keynote is when the speaker rotated the display from the vertical orientation to horizontal, and the content realigned itself in the smoothest way possible. In fact, it almost appears as if the frame is rotating, but the content remains suspended mid-air. This is part of a new Windows Core OS (WCOS) project at Microsoft which seeks to modularize its OS to run in unique ways on unconventional hardware. Microsoft has been working on WCOS and its Composable Shell (C-Shell) for years, and both efforts will allow Windows to run on new hardware. Surface Hub 2 is a good example of that new type of hardware, could be, alongside Microsoft’s rumoured “pocketable” Surface device, code-named Andromeda. At the keynote, Microsoft demoed how the Surface Hub 2 will also handle multiple users. There is now a fingerprint scanner at the base of the Surface Hub 2 which can be used to log in multiple users. Once logged in, users will see recent files and multiple documents so as to enable collaboration between multiple parties. Along with a host of software features, Microsoft also said that the hardware of the Surface Hub 2 has also undergone changes. A new Surface Hub 2S is set to debut next year which will feature an edge-to-edge display and 4K cameras. However, the software that Microsoft showed off won't arrive till 2020. In 2020, Microsoft plans to also release the Surface Hub 2X which will feature a special processor cartridge so as to enable easy upgrades to the hardware powering the new enterprise device. Microsoft has not any pricing or release date for the Surface Hub but said that the hardware will be released in Q2 of 2019